A secret sea handover from Cambodia ends in a dramatic Thai Navy raid at Direk Pier. Officers seize two AK-47 rifles, 102 magazines and 24,405 ammunition rounds, arrest a man and chase gang members who escaped amid the chaos throughout Trat province.
A dramatic maritime raid has smashed a Cambodian arms-smuggling caper carrying AK-47 rifles and 24,405 rounds of ammunition into Thailand. The Royal Thai Navy and Trat Marine Police arrested one man at Direk Pier after tracking offshore speedboat deliveries to Laem Ngop. However, several gang members escaped, triggering a manhunt as investigators pursue the foreign suppliers and what is believed to be a wider transnational network.
The Royal Thai Navy and Trat Marine Police have broken up a transnational arms smuggling network operating from Cambodia. The group collected weapons offshore before landing them in Trat province by speedboat. On August 21, a joint force raided Direk Pier in Laem Ngop district. Officers arrested one man and seized assault rifles, ammunition, vehicles and the gang’s boat.
However, several other members escaped during the raid. Naval and police teams are now searching for them. The Navy has not disclosed their number, identities or nationalities. No further arrests had been announced in the original bulletin.
Rear Admiral Parach Rattanachaiyapan revealed the operation on August 22. The Royal Thai Navy spokesperson confirmed that Trat Marine Police joined the investigation. Previously, both agencies had continuously tracked smuggling rings operating along maritime routes. Their surveillance eventually identified a suspected target linked to cross-border weapons trafficking.
Trat pier raid nets AK-47 rifles and 24,405 ammunition rounds as other arms smugglers escape police
Consequently, investigators traced the operation to Direk Pier. The facility is located in Khlong Yai subdistrict, within Laem Ngop district. A joint force then moved against the target area on August 21. Officers detained one male suspect as other members fled amid the commotion.
Inside the target area, the force discovered two AK-47 assault rifles. Moreover, officers found 102 magazines intended for AK-47 rifles. The shipment also contained 23,640 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. Separately, another 765 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition were recovered.
Altogether, the ammunition haul reached 24,405 rounds. Officers secured the rifles, magazines and ammunition as evidence. In addition, they confiscated one white-and-blue speedboat. Three vehicles involved in the operation were also seized.
Initial findings exposed a sea-based delivery route connecting Cambodia with Trat. First, foreign nationals transported the weapons and ammunition from Cambodia. They then delivered the shipment to the gang in the middle of the sea. Afterwards, the receiving group carried the cargo towards Thailand aboard its speedboat.
Cambodian weapons change hands offshore before speedboat carries the shipment towards Trat province
Instead of using a direct land route, the smugglers arranged an offshore handover. The foreign suppliers brought the cargo to the meeting point. Meanwhile, members of the receiving group approached by speedboat and collected the shipment. The boat then returned to a port in Laem Ngop district.
Notably, the maritime exchange formed the central stage of the trafficking operation. It linked the foreign suppliers with the gang’s landing point in Trat. Once ashore, three vehicles were available for the wider operation. Officers intercepted the shipment at Direk Pier before the group completed its activities there.
The weaponry represented only part of the overall seizure. Alongside the two assault rifles, officers recovered 102 magazines. Furthermore, the ammunition included two different calibres. The 7.62mm rounds accounted for 23,640 of the 24,405-round total.
By comparison, officers recovered 765 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition. The bulletin did not list any other firearms among the seized items. Nor did it identify the intended recipients of the weapons or ammunition. Investigators retained the entire shipment for further legal proceedings.
Speedboat and three vehicles reveal the arms gang’s coordinated transport network across Trat
The speedboat provided the gang’s link between the offshore suppliers and Trat. According to initial findings, smugglers used it to collect items at sea. Subsequently, they transported those items back to Laem Ngop district. The white-and-blue vessel was confiscated during the joint operation.
On land, the three seized vehicles formed another part of the transport network. The bulletin described all three as involved in the crime. Yet it did not identify their types, owners or intended destinations. Each vehicle was retained alongside the boat and weapons.
As part of the investigation, naval personnel monitored smuggling groups using maritime routes. Trat Marine Police worked with them throughout that effort. Eventually, the surveillance produced a suspected target and a specific landing point. That intelligence led directly to the raid at Direk Pier.
During the operation, officers secured one suspect but failed to contain the entire group. Other members escaped amid the confusion. In response, police and naval personnel began searching for those still at large. The bulletin provided no details about where they fled.
Unidentified suspect held as police investigate Cambodian suppliers behind the offshore arms shipment
The arrested suspect has not been publicly identified. Likewise, officials released no information about his age or nationality. His precise function within the smuggling network also remains undisclosed. Nevertheless, officers transferred him to Laem Ngop Police Station after the raid.
In parallel, all seized evidence was delivered to the same police station. The inventory included two rifles and 102 magazines. It also covered 24,405 ammunition rounds, one speedboat and three vehicles. Police will use the evidence in further legal proceedings.
On another front, investigators are pursuing the foreign connection behind the shipment. Initial findings established that the weapons came from Cambodia. Foreign nationals then delivered the cargo during the offshore meeting. However, the bulletin did not identify those suppliers.
Similarly, no Cambodian departure point was disclosed. The precise location of the transfer at sea also remained confidential. Officials did not describe the vessel used by the foreign group. Even so, the investigation established the shipment’s basic route into Thailand.
Initially, the cargo travelled from Cambodia towards the offshore meeting point. At sea, foreign nationals transferred it to the receiving gang. Next, the smugglers loaded the weapons aboard their speedboat. Finally, they carried the shipment to a port in Laem Ngop district.
Navy and Marine Police pursue escaped gang members after breaking the Cambodian maritime arms route
The operation required coordination across both sea and land. Offshore, the gang needed a speedboat capable of collecting the shipment. Ashore, it had three vehicles involved in the crime. At Direk Pier, it also had access to a landing point for the Cambodian cargo.
Crucially, the raid captured the shipment after it entered the Laem Ngop route. Officers recovered every item listed in the Navy’s announcement. The haul included military-style rifles, magazines and tens of thousands of ammunition rounds. It also removed the gang’s identified maritime and road transport assets.
Beyond the seizure, the escape of several members left the investigation open. Naval and police teams must still locate those suspects. At the same time, investigators are examining the transnational supply operation. The announced findings already connect Cambodia, an offshore transfer and the Trat landing point.
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Rear Admiral Parach attributed the breakthrough to continuing inter-agency work. Naval officers had tracked sea-based smuggling activity with Trat Marine Police. Through that cooperation, they identified the suspected target and prepared the August 21 operation. The raid was announced publicly the following day.
For now, the detained man remains with police for further proceedings. The weapons, ammunition and transport assets remain in official custody. Meanwhile, the hunt continues for members who escaped from Direk Pier. The case now centres on a Cambodian supply route, a sea handover and a Trat landing operation.
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Further reading:
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United States, South Korea and United Kingdom act against Cambodian scam industry with Thai tie-ins
